Many More Parts Than M! Reimagining disability, access and inclusion beyond compliance
Many More Parts than M! Reimagining Disability, Access and Inclusion beyond Compliance is a prototype compendium by The DisOrdinary Architecture Project exploring how to engage with built environment accessibility in ways that take us beyond conventional checklists, templates, design guidance and legal compliance. Instead, the aim is to create a rich catalogue of alternative concepts, stories, artistic work and architectural details that can creatively and critically inform design thinking and practice.
Our publication builds on the creativity and criticality of diverse disabled artists, designers, architects, scholars and activists. Rather than relying on either conventional disability categories (blind, wheelchair-user, deaf) or standard accessibility terms (wayfinding, tactile paving, platform lifts), it is organised around an alphabet of key concepts that may be new to many, but which we hope will enliven debate and help to improve the quality of design ideas around access and inclusion.
The project was funded by Arts Council England (ACE) and built on a competition-winning project for a ‘co-creating equity in the public realm’ design competition called ‘Seats at the Table’. This initial project was a collaboration between The DisOrdinary Architecture Project and Refabricate for the London Festival of Architecture (LFA) in June 2023. By creating additional activities, artworks and a publication out of lessons learnt from the LFA project, the compedium enables disabled artists and architects to aim to influence built environment and cultural sector professionals beyond the Festival itself. Many More Parts than M! is mainly aimed at built environment and cultural sector students, educators and professionals. It is intended for browsing and for following up on some of the ideas, artists and projects included. The project
Download the PDF for Many More Parts than M! here.
Or explore the book using issuu below:
Alternative versions and media content
In addition to the printed version of the compendium, we created a series of alternative online versions and additional video resources. You can find each of the alternative versions and resources below.
Compendium for screen-readers
The downloadable screen-reader version is split into three sections, each complete with Alt Text. Below you can click on each link to access three sections.
SectIon 1: Page 1 - 44. (Contents: 1. Introduction, 2. Access ecologies, 3. Access fails, 4. Access Information, 5. Beauty, 6. Beyond the Visual, 7. Care and 8. Repair and Clinical settings).
Download section 1 of the compendium here.
Section 2: Page 45 - 91. (Contents: 9. Time, 10. Deaf Space, 11. Disability Etiquette, 12. Disability Justice, 13. Imperfect, 14. Misfitting and 15. Mobility)
Download section 2 of the compendium here.
Section 3: Page 92 - 146. (Contents: 16. Nightlife, 17. Orientation/Dis, 18. Practicing Differently, 19. Seats at the Table, 20. Toilets, 21. Waste(d), 22. Ways of Being, 23. Acknowledgements, 24. Definition of Ableism)
Download section 3 of the compendium here.
Additional video resources
As part of the Many More Parts than M! project we asked some of our many contributors to talk about what they are doing. These nine videos can be accessed via QR codes in the hard copy or PDF version, and are also linked below. All videos have English Captions available.
Talking about Crip Time: Helen Stratford and Raquel Meseguer-Zafe
Length: 7 mins 58 secs.
Why DAF and the Signstrokes project are urgently needed: Chris Laing, founder of Deaf Architects Front (DAF)
Length: 14 mins 15 secs.
The questions that disabled architects always get asked: Roseanne Scott
Length 2 mins 55 secs.
Accessible site intervention for Seats at the Table project: Raquel Meseguer-Zafe and Helen Stratford
Length: 12 mins 11 secs.
On Beauty: Mandy Redvers-Rowe
Length 9 mins 33 secs.
On Safety: Poppy Levison
Length: 3 mins 22 secs.
Accessible site intervention for Seats at the Table proejct: Jordan Whitewood Neal and James Zakta-Haas, co-founders of Dis
Length: 9 mins 37 secs.
The inevitable imperfections of projects like these: Roseanne Scott and Giuseppe Ferigno from Re-Fabricate and Jos Boys from The DisOrdinary Architecture Project
Length: 20 mins 36 secs.
The Team
Project lead: Jos Boys // Compendium coordinator: Francesca Perry // Production assistant: Scarlett Barclay // Film-maker: Tim Copsey // Alt-text: James Zatka-Haas // Braille stickers: Lynn Cox.
ACE-funded participants: Zoe Partington // Rubbena Aurangzeb-Tariq // Mandy Redvers-Rowe // Poppy Levison // Jordan Whitewood-Neal // James Zatka-Haas // Raquel Meseguer Zafe // Helen Stratford // Rosie Scott // Giuseppe Ferrigno.
With thanks for support
There are so many contributors to the compendium and to the Seats at the Table project, without whom Many More Parts Than M! could not have been made. Thanks to everyone - and more - listed at the end of the book.
